My BMI is 32 :( (long, sorry)

[BreeVDKamp]

That means I'm OBESE!! Not overweight, obese :(

Found out at my booking appointment today, midwife didn't mention it at all and I'm low risk so far, but I read my BMI on my notes. I've always considered BMI a bit meaningless because muscle is heavy and all that, but I can't stop thinking about this :(

I've always been this build, it's not like I've ever put on weight. I'm a size 14 top and 16 bottom and have never been any other sizes, all through my teens etc, except for around my wedding when I was eating very little and exercising constantly (but I did look great!! Still size 14 though. I looked so thin). I know I will never be less than a size 14 as my skeleton just will not allow it.

But I think I must have like inverse body dysmorphia as I don't think I look terrible (although often wish I was small, obviously). I feel fine in a bikini on holiday for example. I don't think I have fat rolls. I plan on continuing an active pregnancy although I didn't go to yoga tonight as I was falling asleep by 6. Gym tomorrow afternoon though!! Without fail.

So what can I do to get my BMI down? What does it take to lose one BMI point? I think 'overweight' is up to 30 so I'd like to lose 2 points. Is this even possible in pregnancy? I eat v healthily and exercise regularly. I am so ashamed to be labelled obese and have always tried to be the healthiest person possible. I am so so worried about getting diabetes, even more so now I'm pregnant. Used to work in diabetes customer care and have heard so many horror stories, and now I'm a baker so I'm paranoid about it to say the least! I am eating a lot of fruit (sugar!!!!) because I get constipated (sorry tmi).

I am so ashamed I can't sleep :( I don't know why because I always suspected I'd come out as 'obese', always known in around 13 stone, but I focussed on health over BMI. Now that I'm officially labelled, I am being extra sensitive it seems!

Sorry for the rant, but now it's out maybe I can sleep! Please don't be too mean :( I've always tried so hard with my weight :( I'm 5'6 and age 24 if that is relevant.

Apologies for the abruptness of this question, but do you have big boobs?

Oh God. I sound like a troll.

I can't get my BMI under 27. I'm tall, hourglass shaped, 32GG ish boobs. Even on my wedding day, at my slimmest, I was still overweight by my BMI. I'd done a lot of weights and felt trying and slim.

Since Dd was born I found myself over a BMI of 30. I lost 10lb dropped to BMI of 28.

There's a BMI calculator on the NHS website where you can play around with the figures.

That said, I wouldn't worry. Some of us are built big on the scales. And that's not just a fat bird's excuse

You shouldn't try to lose weight during pregnancy as it can lead to deficiencies for you and the baby. And the only way to reduce your bmi is to lose weight. Please talk to your GP or midwife before starting any diets or new exercise regimes.

You can loose weight whilst pregnant and it will be good for you especially if you are obese.
BMI is a disputed system of looking at obesity risk factors, however this is more applicable when considering being overweight rather than obese.
It will always be beneficial to reduce your weight if your BMI makes you obese. It is also possible for you to loose weight despite the fact that you have been your current weight for a long time. I was always chubby as a child, as an adult I became severely obese. 142kgs (300 pounds ). I am now 17 weeks pregnant and the smallest I have ever been at 50 kgs. I was one of the ppl everybody claimed was big boned and could never be slim. I have now been slim ( size 6/8) for 8 years consistently. It's not true that you are destined to be fat. It clearly upsets you. Speak to your midwife who should be able to guide you or refer you to someone who can about loosing weight safely during pregnancy.

Thanks everyone! No I have small boobs, 36C after a mumsnet bra intervention ha :) (they look small on my body)

But HOW can I lose weight, nihat? I already exercise everyday and eat well. I don't want to cut out carbs although that is how I lost weight for my wedding. I did feel great but I keep getting faint currently (pregnant) so don't want to do that now. I know I will never be a size 8 like you, my hip bones stick out as it is!

It didn't upset me until yesterday! Think I was v emotional last night.

OK I am going to wear my ankle weights all day today and log everything I eat in MFP.

Go easy on yourself. Pregnancy can be tough and sometimes you need to eat whatever you can stomach.

How about rather than aiming to lose weight, you aim to slow weight gain?

Yes good idea, that was the plan anyway before I was officially obese - I am a bridesmaid in August (baby due in May) eek!

Am going to ring the midwives when I get home to see if I can see a dietician :) feeling much more positive thanks all! Still fat though :-/

So here is what I ate today:

Breakfast:
40g bran flakes, 1% fat milk (146 cals) (didn't work out the milk cals)
100ml orange juice with pulp (41 cals)
1 satsuma (28 cals)

Random bits and bobs at work (bad I know):
1/2 a bite of Magical Cake (had to test as part of my job)
Couple tsp various soups (had to test as part of my job)
Couple tsps porridge (had to test as part of my job)
Mouthful bacon and cheese cake (had to test as part of my job)
Rather too much millionnaire's shortbread - less than a whole portion though. (had to test as part of my job, but should have had less!)

Hard to count those cals!

Before gym
Banana (110 cals)
11 almonds (113 cals)

After gym (around 2pm)
5 florets boiled broccoli (35 cals)
1 corn on the cob (no butter obvs) (156 cals)
1 slice cheese on toast - granary bread (148 cals) and Aldi '30% Lighter' Mature Cheddar (128 cals)
1 plum (45 cals)
Low fat natural yoghurt (25 cals)

Dinner
150g baked potato (162 cals)
Tuna in brine (139 cals)
1 tbsp mayo (full fat ) (90 cals)
2 steamed carrots (27 cals)
Handful steamed spinach (22 cals)

Drinks
Lots of water
Fresh mint tea
Peppermint tea
Tea
Honey and lemon

So according to MFP that's 1447 calories (not counting the picking at work and 'drinks' section).

At the gym I could only manage 30 mins crosstrainer (-253 cals) and 15 mins cycling (-132 cals). I find I cannot raise my heartrate above 150 no matter how hard I try! My legs are so tired. I used to work out at about 180 or 190 pre-preg.

So I have 938 calories remaining. I bumped my daily allowance up from 1,500 ish to 2,000 once I found out I was preg, so am used to eating about the amount of calories I ate today. But you're not meant to have more calories until the 3rd trimester, so I don't know if I should stay at 1500 cals? I really don't want to gain excess weight.

I will probs have an apple and maybe more fruit as am having a very peckish day (don't really have any other snacks in the house. Maybe I'll pop some corn??)

My MFP pie chart says the above was 55% carbs (goal is 50%), 24% fat (goal is 30%) and protein is 21% (goal is 20%), so pretty pleased with that although 50% carbs makes me

So this is a typical day for me, both pre-pregnancy and now. So any comments? I rang the midwife to try and see a dietician but she has to find out how the referrals work and get back to me next week.

Nobody has any advice? :(

No specific advice but you do need to count Everything, including the bits you eat at work and the calories in the milk etc.

I find MFP really good but it does require discipline to write down everything. If you don't know exact calories just estimate or find something similar in the database and pretend it was that.

Bree your diet doesn't sound bad at all so I think it would be good to speak to a nutritionist and find out how they can support you. I agree that concentrating on a slower weight gain rather than losing weight could be helpful. Sounds like you are healthy which is the most important thing! Have you double checked the height and weight measurements btw? Sometimes hcp get them wrong.

Agree that you need to write everything down including the milk with cereal etc.

I would personally skip the orange juice, honey/lemon (or just have the lemon with hot water), and make sure you have just a small dash of skimmed milk in tea - I'm assuming no sugar. Those are calories you can easily cut out without impacting on how full you are.

Also, what you are snacking on at work will be making a massive difference - I would really focus your efforts to lose weight on only eating what you absolutely have to at work (millionaires shortbread is ridiculously high in calories - one slice is listed at least 300 cals on MFP - I eat about that many calories for a whole meal). You may well have eaten in excess of 400 cals right there. You might be able to help stop the unnecessary snacking by having a bigger and more filling breakfast eg egg and avocado on toast or muesli with low fat yoghurt and berries or banana and low fat ricotta on toast.

I don't know which low fat foods are high in sugar but the low fat natural yoghurt and skimmed milk I buy definitely do not have added sugar or sweeteners - I have just checked the packaging!

Oh also, if you lost the mayo with dinner that would be 90 cals there.

I am following a plan called 12 week body transformation (Michelle Bridges) - she also does a pregnancy focussed one. It is great for planning your diet and exercise and everyone I know who has done it has success. I've lost nearly 1.5 stones so far (lightest I've been for ten years since before I got pg with my first child) and the changes to lifestyle are totally sustainable - I never feel hungry for example and am only eating 1200 cals per day.

I would personally also not push yourself too hard with exercise during pregnancy - your body is doing a big job and you need to let it have some rest. Although exercise is very important for being fit and healthy it doesn't actually have a major impact on weight loss / gain unless you are training super hard and regularly, eg for a marathon, - it is diet that is the primary factor.

Tasting this stuff is her job not snacking at work

Yes but she said she had nearly a portion of millionaire's shortbread and from looking at the rest of it she could have got away with a bite for work purposes. Having all those extra calories is clearly going to result in weight gain....

It needn't: the OP just needs to log them and take account of them by eating less at mealtimes to compensate.

And yes to whoever said check the figures. If you are 13 stone and 5ft 6 your BMI is 29.3 not 32.

You can do the SLimming world diet whilst pregnant if midwife agrees - more about healthy eating than counting calories if that helps?

I would ditch the low fat stuff and go for whole milk and full fat cheese and yoghurt, with plenty of protein and eggs etc.

Yes only skimmed milk in tea, no sugar, and honey and lemon was because I had a sore throat and cough this weekend and the pharmacist said I couldn't even have a strepsil!

Millionnaire's shortbread was definitely a bad slip-up!

I am so confused about low fat options - I know they're generally bad but thought low fat cheese and milk was good - no sugar added to skimmed milk is there!! It's just had the cream skimmed off! So thought that translated to cheese too. Yoghurt - I have some low-fat in the fridge but normally buy full fat and will go back to that. Just got so confused because of my BMI revelation :(

Am still waiting to hear back from midwives re. dietician, and also asked if I'm meant to take more folic acid - I've read that overweight women need to take more, so why didn't my midwife mention it at my booking appointment??? I am SO upset, what if something is wrong with the baby now?? :(

Thanks for the responses, will look at Slimming World and 12 Week Body Transformation.